Photo Essay and Feature by Venus Zarris
On June 27, 2011, the International Voices Project, in collaboration with The Consulate General of Canada in Chicago, presented yet another dynamic U. S. Premiere staged reading at the Alliance Francaise de Chicago. Canadian playwright Jennifer Tremblay’s The List (La Liste) exposes the insular experience of a woman driven by self-created to-do lists that serve the purposes of the day-to-day but forsake the very life of a close friend.
This 2008 Governor General’s Award-winning script was given a breathtaking reading under the emotionally astute direction of Patrizia Acerra and through a captivating performance by Lyndsay Rose Kane.
Kane remarkably takes on the Herculean task of this one-woman script and unfolds the story with a delicate build that flows organically while deliberately depicting the world and thoughts of a character that lives her life by detailed lists.
She draws us into the mind of a woman, isolated in her thoughts. Kane brilliantly and intimately establishes the script’s existential flat-line of a life void of that sense of higher purpose needed to critically prioritize her world.
Tremblay’s story is a real-life haunting of internal regret delivered with commonplace observations that illuminate the weight we place on minutiae, “ Laundry is an inescapable obligation.” and structured with extraordinary lyricism, “Our sorrows brush shoulders above our heads.”
Shelley Tepperman’s English translation of The List (La Liste) is exceptional. If there was anything lost in translation it was undetectable in this compelling reading of a script that is structured like poetry yet realized with complete and heartbreaking humanity.
The International Voices Project celebrates the voices of global writers and creates opportunities for Chicago audiences to experience international plays in unique urban settings.
“Embracing international work brings Chicago into a global conversation and makes Chicago’s own voice resonate in a powerful way.” … Patrizia Acerra
Premiere Theatre & Performance shines a spotlight on remarkable international playwrights and the best of Chicago’s theatrical artists with its 2011 presentation of the International Voices Project 2011. Through the brilliant vision of Artistic Director Patrizia Acerra and under the inspired curation of Anna C. Bahow and Marti Lyons, this singular staged reading series proves to be a must see theatrical undertaking. Don’t miss the rest of these extraordinary evenings of ONE NIGHT ONLY staged treasures!
* Read an IVP feature story here: The International Voices Project 2011 – TELL THE STORY. CHANGE THE WORLD. – Chicago Stage Review
* For a complete schedule and more information visit:
The International Voices Project 2011 staged reading of The List (La Liste) production image by Venus Zarris.